Torpedo-guard.



H. DE CORTE TORPEDO GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26. 19] 7.

1,243,143. Patented Oct. 16,1917.

INVENTOR WITNESSES II BY ATTORNEY HENRY DE COB'IE, 0F FAIBGRQVE, MICHIGAN.

TOBPEDO-GUABD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

Application filed January 26, 1917. Serial No. 144,710.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY DE CoRTn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairgrove, in the county of Tuscola and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo- Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in torpedo guards, and it consists in the constructions and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a shield or guard, applicable to vessels and fortified places, the device being constructed in units which may be placed to ward off attacks from aerial torpedoes as well as submarine torpedoes.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating diagrammatically a portion of avessel showng the application of my device, and V Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, a portion of the complete structure being broken away.

In carrying out my invention I provide companion guard members 1 and 2. :The member 1 of which there is one on each side of the vessel (the guard member. 1 being adapted more particularly for attachment to a vessel), is supported on the sides of the vessel 3 by suitable hook members and 5.

The hook members 4 and 5 are arranged to be supported in brackets 6 secured to the side of the vessel. Arrangedcentrally and longitudinally of the guard member 1, is'a series of brace members 7 including diverging arms 8 which are secured in any suitable manner to the body of the shield 1, similarly as are the hook members 4 and 5.

The end of the brace 7 adjacent the side of the vessel 3, is turned downwardly into a hook 9 which is supported in the bracket 16 also secured to the side of the vessel 3 similarly as are the brackets 6. It will be observed that the guard or shield. SL-is formed with gradual outwardly converging top and bottom portions. The lower curve of the guard member 1 mar es substan ially the lower curve 11 of the vessel. The pose of this construction readily be apparent. torpedo in being directed to the vessel 3 will strike the guard 1 on the lower concave surface, thereof and be directed downwardly in the direction of the arrow and away from the vessel.

- The purpose of the hook connections 4 and 5 as well as the hook connection of 9 of the brace 7, is to facilitate the removal of one or both of the guards l for such purposes as docking the vessel, and permitting it to move up to a wharf. It should also be stated thatthe guards 1 are applied to the vessel so that the outer point thereof forming the terminus of the converging side portions, is located just about at the Water line.

Reference is now directed to the guard 2. The guard 2 is similar in its general aspects, to the guard 1. The guard 2 is supported on the deck of the vessel b the members 12, of which there is a su cient number to properly support the guard in position. The body of the guard 2 is formed with outwa rdly diverging side members, which spring from the upper central point 13.

It will be seen that the sides of the upper guard 2 terminate at a point 14 approximately in the region where the inner sides of the guards 1 end. The vessel being attacked from overhead, and'a torpedo being dropped on the vessel, will strike the outwardly diverging sides of 'the guards 2, and be caused to be deflected outwardly in the direction of the arrow and away from the vessel. Should the torpedo be misdirected and fail to strike either of the surfaces of the guard 2, and should it strike the .upper surface of the guard 1, the torpedo will still be deflected outwardly and into ,the water where it can do no harm to the vessel. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen, that the front ends of the guards 1 terminate in an outwardly converging portion 15. This portion of the guard will probably extend across the bow and stern of the vessel in a formation similar-to that of the main body of the guard 1. Torpedoes being directed to either-the bow or stern of the vessel from either above or below, will be directed ontwardly or downwardly as the case may he. The holds true to the 2, since it be ooserved the he adjacent endof the guard 2 1S outwarddy our wed atl.

g: a"; .2 while the construction oi the devic illustrated largely diagrammatically dyet it is a generahy 'ferred form, and obviously in actual prac' tice various modifications and changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

I claim: 1. In a device of the character described,- the combination with the deck and sides of a vessel, of covering shields for the sides, the shields having surfaces diverging toward the sides, a covering shield for the deck, said shield having surfaces diverging toward the sides of the vessel, the upper edges of the side shields ending near the lower edges of the deck shields to form a substantial'continuation of the deck shield, whereupon a projectilewill be caused to deflect from one shield to the other and away from the vessel.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a vessel, a shield applied to the sides of the vessel and having prising concave and outwardly diverging. f

sides, said sides ending at the region adjacent the point of connection of the side guards with the deck of the vessel said side guards forming a continuation of the upper guard, and means for removably supporting the guards in position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

.HENRY DE CORTE. Witnesses: v

G. B. MoINTrRE, 

